Not Applicable
This invention pertains to a food packaging apparatus. More particularly, this invention pertains to a device for defining a loop handle in a tubular covering, such as an expandable mesh covering, for a food product, such as, but not limited to a meat product.
It is known in the food packaging industry to vacuum wrap consumer portions of food products, especially meat products. It is also known in the art to use expanded mesh coverings for food product during processing. To facilitate carrying, it has become customary to provide a tubular cover, such as an expanded plastic mesh cover for the vacuum wrapped food product. Further, this tubular mesh cover has a loop in one end in order to define a handle. Presently, formation of this loop handle is accomplished manually by hand. In this regard, a worker will bag the food product in the tubular expanded mesh covering, gather, or compress, an extended portion at one end, manually loop this extended portion back on itself and then clip the loop, with a conventional clipping apparatus, in order to secure the loop. Conventional clipping machines attach two clips, one to secure the bottom of the next covering to be formed and one to secure the loop handle. The conventional clipping machine then cuts the tubular covering between these two clips. Manual loop formation can limit the rate of production. What is needed is an apparatus for defining a handle in a tubular covering for a food product.
The apparatus of the present invention is a device for covering a food product in a tubular covering, such as an expanded mesh plastic covering, which has a loop handle defined in one end of the tubular covering. As the food product proceeds through the apparatus, a handle is formed for the covering of the next food product and the open end of the tubular covering containing the food product is clipped, thereby securing the food product within the tubular covering. In the preferred embodiment, as the food product enters the apparatus, it is weighed so that a tag (containing certain information regarding the food product as will be known and appreciated by those skilled in the art) can be printed and secured in the loop handle defined in the portion of the tubular member that will receive the food product. While the apparatus described, and illustrated herein has been adapted specifically for bagging vacuum wrapped turkeys, either frozen or unfrozen, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the apparatus can be adapted to define a loop handle in a tubular covering for other poultry products, other meat products and indeed other food products. Indeed, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the device has utility in bundling non-food products as well.
The apparatus of the present invention includes a frame for supporting the various assemblies that comprise the apparatus and for engaging a support surface such as a floor. The frame also includes various guards and shields designed and intended to prevent an operator of the apparatus, or other individuals in close proximity to an operating apparatus, from being injured as a result of contact with moving components of the apparatus. Further, the various components of the apparatus of the present invention are preferably pneumatically driven and are controlled through a series of air valves, controlled by a programmable logic controller, PLC, as is conventionally known in the art. However, while operation of the apparatus by a PLC is preferred, it will be appreciated that the operations could be triggered selectively and sequentially by an operator toggling a series of switches. While selective operation of the apparatus would not be the preferred embodiment, such is certainly within the scope of the present disclosure.
The apparatus of the present invention includes a conveyor belt, preferably motor driven, which conveys the food product from a production line and into the slide area or chute. An initial conveyor stand and associated scale can be provided for weighing product prior to introducing the product into the slide area. While the conveyors are illustrated as being motor driven, those skilled in the art will recognize that other actuators, such as rotary actuators, could be utilized. It is anticipated that the conveyor would intersect a production line allowing a worker to remove a food product from the production line, weigh the product, if weight information is desired, and feed the food product onto the conveyor of the apparatus. The chute is a substantially tubular member which has the tubular covering expanded on the exterior of the chute, and positioned with respect to the distal end of the chute such that the food product will engage the tubular covering and thereby be covered by the tubular covering as the food product exits the chute. Positioned proximate the distal end of the chute is a voider assembly defined by a stationary set of voider gates and a moveable set of voider gates. Each set of voider gates includes a top voider plate and a bottom voider plate, each voider plate having an opening that is adapted to be positioned so as to substantially register with the opening defined by the diameter of the chute. The stationary set of voider gates is proximate the distal end of the chute. When in the retracted position, the moveable set of voider gates is proximate the stationary set voider gate. As will be explained in greater detail below, the openings in the top and bottom voider plates include cooperating bites that cooperate, and register, when the voider plates are closed so as to gather the tubular covering into a compressed cord.
Further, the apparatus of the present invention includes a handle formation assembly for engaging the compressed cord of tubular covering and forming the compressed cord into a loop handle. A clipper device, carried by the frame of the apparatus of the present invention rotates into a position to engage the handle formation assembly, and the engaged compressed cord of tubular covering and secures two clips to the cord, one to secure the bottom of the tubular covering for the previously processed food product, and one to secure the loop handle, (and tag), for the tubular covering in preparation of receiving a subsequent food product to be covered. Further a clipping knife severs the compressed cord of tubular covering at a point disposed between the two securing clips. A product restraining assembly is provided to capture and restrain the food product as it passes through the voider gate assembly, position the covered food product for clipping and to release the food product upon completion of the apparatus""s handle formation and clipping cycle.
In an alternate embodiment, the device, absent the handle formation assembly, could be utilized for certain packing plant operations. In this regard, in certain packing plant operations, product is packaged in an expanded mesh covering. However, it is not necessary to form a loop handle in the package. Accordingly, for such operations, the handle formation assembly could either be deactivated or omitted.